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I have been asking this question for awhile. Why do Mexicans answer the phone and say Bueno instead of Hola?

Originally Posted by Amigo Arizona

I have been asking this question for awhile. Why do Mexicans answer the phone and say Bueno instead of Hola?

Yup, most of the ones I call

Originally Posted by Amigo Arizona

I have been asking this question for awhile. Why do Mexicans answer the phone and say Bueno instead of Hola?

I looked online since I had wondered why as well when I first started visiting Mexico.

It comes from the early days of telephones when operators connected all the calls and controlled the ringing of the recipient's phone. So when the recipient picked up the phone, he would say "Bueno" to indicate that the connection had been made.

Also everyone doesn't say bueno, Diga me, Hola, or simply Si are often used as well.

Originally Posted by ldsnakes

I looked online since I had wondered why as well when I first started visiting Mexico.

It comes from the early days of telephones when operators connected all the calls and controlled the ringing of the recipient's phone. So when the recipient picked up the phone, he would say "Bueno" to indicate that the connection had been made.

Also everyone doesn't say bueno, Diga me, Hola, or simply Si are often used as well.

They would say bueno to indicate the connection was good and no bueno if it was a bad static connection fast before the operator went away.. in which case the operator would try again if they did not hear the word bueno.

I faintly remember that in Europe, when answering a phone, you always used your name to identify yourself to the calling party. Wonder if that's still that way??

When I was in the Navy, and stationed at Rota, Spain... they would answer the phone "Diga"
Actually, it was a long "Digaaahhh?"

Diga seems kind of rude. Its like you are commanding the person on the other end to speak or something.

Hey DENNIS, if it makes you feel better...I like your dry humor...most of the time.

Originally Posted by Uzun

Diga seems kind of rude. Its like you are commanding the person on the other end to speak or something.

It's more like "talk to me" than the literal "tell me", which is common in the US for more informal conversions.

Originally Posted by Doc Rey

Hey DENNIS, if it makes you feel better...I like your dry humor...most of the time.

Thanks, Doc. I appreciate that.

Originally Posted by edinnopolo

I faintly remember that in Europe, when answering a phone, you always used your name to identify yourself to the calling party. Wonder if that's still that way??

Yes, they generally answer the phone with the last name of the family that is being called. If you are a guest and the phone rings and you had to answer (pre-cell phone and answering machine), "at so-n-so's" to identify that you are not a family member answering the phone.

In this day and age, it may not be advisable to give one's name to anyone you don't know.

"Hello".....for me works best, and I won't be wondering why Mexico doesn't do it my/our way. They just don't. It's a cultural thing that really doesn't matter.

Originally Posted by Amigo Arizona

Yippee That makes my day. You are the only person who took my question in a negative manner with a smart ass comment Think about it. Your reputation follows you because of your mouth.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

Or you can just "Ask a Mexican"...

Originally Posted by Woooosh

Or you can just "Ask a Mexican"...

Attachment 3688

Interesting misspellings of Tardes [tarde] and Noches [noche] from the expert.

Originally Posted by DENNIS

Interesting misspellings of Tardes [tarde] and Noches [noche] from the expert.

He's an author- you can't except him to be an expert on language.

Originally Posted by Woooosh

He's an author- you can't except him to be an expert on language.

Ohhh.......yeah. Silly of me. I do enjoy his columns when I come across them, however.

Glad this has been "solved" ... Adios

Could be typos... believe me, it is near impossible to not catch them all before a book is published! The key is getting others who have not read it before to copy edit (proofread) it. The author's brain will see a mistyped word as he intended to write it and not how it actually appears on a page of the book.

Originally Posted by David K

Could be typos...

Then again, he might be a she......from Nigeria. Ya never know on the WWW.

Hey...I just a while ago today put up your Guadalupe Valley story on the PB board and already had two replies of appreciation. Your legendary fame is growing at an alarming rate.
Got in a plug for Geoff as well.